Work tray



United lStates Patent-O 2,774,505 WORK TRAY Harold N. Ipsen, Rockford, lIll. Applicaties July 1, 195s; seal No. 365,397

' "s claims." F(ci. 22o-L4) This invention relates to trays for supporting workpieces and more particularly to open framework 'trays which have a generally llat rectangular bottom and end and side walls upstanding from the edges of the tray bottom. In such trays the bottom is composed of a plu rality of work supporting bars or runners disposed between and parallel to -side bars to which the side walls are attached.

The general object is to provide a new and improved tray of the above character which supports the articles carried thereby more completely, which is rugged in service use and which is comparatively simple in construction.

A more detailed object is to dispose the side walls outwardly of the bottom of the tray so that the article in the tray rests on the side bars as well as on the runners and to attach the Walls to the side bars in such a way that the walls are strong and hold the article against lateral shifting.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a work tray embodying the novel features lof the present invention.

Fig. 2 i-s a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 2 2 in Fig. 1 and showing the manner in which the tray supports a basket.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3 3 in Fig. 1.

As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustra-tion, the invention is embodied in a work tray 5 comprising a generally at rectangular bottom or rack 6 and end and side walls 7 and 8 rigid with and upstanding from the edges of the bottom. In order to adapt the tray for operations such as heat treating, the bottom and the walls are open framework in construction to permit gases, liquids and the like to contact workpieces carried in the tray. The workpieces may rest directly on the bottom of the tray or be placed in a wire mesh basket 9 (Fig. 2) which tits inside the tray.

In the present instance, the bottom 6 includes two parallel elongated side bars 10 spaced apart and spanned at each end by end bars 11. At each corner of the tray, a small block 12 abutting against the end of the end bar 111 and overlapping the side bar 10 is welded to b oth bars so that the side and end bars are joined together rigidly. A plurality of elongated bars or runners 13, in this case five, are disposed between the side bars parallel to the latter to provide a work supporting platform. The bars 13 are evenly spaced and are held vin place by cross rods 14 projecting transversely through the bars with theirends pressed int-o holes in the side bars. These, intermediate bars 13 also are welded at each end to the end bars 11.

To form the end and side wall-s 7 and 8, vertical armsA 15 are welded to the upper edges of the end bars 11 while a plurality of arms 16 extend upwardly from the side Mice bars 10. A rectangular rail Y 17 extends completely around the tray 5 and rests on the upper ends of the arms 1S and 16. The latter are welded to the rail which thus rigidly joins the arms togetherv into the end and side walls of the tray.

In order that the tray 5 provides more complete sup- I v port for the articles being carried, such as the basket 9,

and at the same time is comparatively strong, the present invention contemplates a novel construction of the side walls 8 to permit the basket to be supported near its side edge While, at the same time, providing side walls which are sturdy to hold the basket against lateral shifting. This is achieved by spacing the side walls outwardly of the side bars 10 so that the basket rests on these bars as well as the bars 13 and by attaching the arms 16 to the side bars by a connection which is easily made but-which holds the side walls securely on the bottom 6 even under relatively large lateral forces.

To dispose the side walls 8 outwardly of the side bars 10, the arms 16 are spaced laterally from the tray bottom 6 and their lower ends are bent inwardly toward the side bars to which these ends are secured. Thus, as shown in Fig. 2, the arms are generally L-shaped with the shorter horizontal leg 18 extending outwardly from the corresponding side bar 1Y0 and the longer leg 19 projecting upwardly to form the side wall of the tray. With this arrangement, the basket 9 rests on the side bars 10 and is supported along its edges as well as in the center. Since the legs 19 are spaced from the side bars, the bottom of the basket is supported by these bars even though the edges of the basket are rounded as illustrated in Fig. 2. With the side walls spaced outwardly from the tray bottom 6, the rail 17 is made wider than the bottom, that is, the side portions 17a of the rail are farther apart than are the side bars 16.

Each arm 16 is attached to the corresponding side bar 10 by projecting the shorter leg 18 through a hole 20 (Fig. 2) in the bar between the upper and lower edges thereof and by forming an enlargement 21 on the end of the leg inside the side bar. The enlargement prevents the leg 18 from slipping out of the hole 20 so that the side walls 8 withstand the forces caused by lateral shifting of the basket 9. Herein, the enlargement is a weld which may, if desired, rigidly join the leg 18 and the side bar 10.

It will be observed that the tray 5 is simple to make and is rugged in construction. At the same time, the tray provides more complete support for articles such as the basket 9 since the latter rests both on the intermediate bars 13 and on the side bars 10. The added support is -obtained without sacrificing the strength of the side Walls 8 since the arms 16 are held securely on the side bars by the enlargements 21.

I claim as my invention:

l. A work tray comprising a generally rectangular horizontal frame including two spaced parallel side bars, a plurality of arms mounted on each of said bars, each of said arms being disposed on the outside of the corresponding bar and having a generally L-shape with the horizontal leg projecting in through an opening in the bar and with the vertical leg spaced outwardly from and projecting up above the bar, an enlargement rigid with the end of said vertical leg inside said bar and larger than said opening to prevent the arm from shitting outwardly relative to the bar, a generally rectangular rail wider than and spaced above said frame and fas tened to the upper ends of the vertical legs of said arms, and a plurality of-bars disposed between said side bars parallel to the latter and rigidly connected to said frame whereby all of said bars cooperate to form the work supporting bottom of the tray.

2. A tray comprising a generally flat horizontal supporting framework including two side bars, a plurality of upright arms spaced along one of said bars and disposed outwardly thereof, the lower end portion of each of said arms being bent inwardly and projected through said one bar, a weld on the end of the bent portion `of each of said arms forming an enlargement of the arm on the inside of said one bar to prevent the arm from shifting laterally outwardly of the bar, a second settof arms similarly bent and mounted on the other side bar, a pair of parallel rails disposed above saidpframework and spaced apart farther than said bars to lie alongside the upper ends of one of said sets of arms, and means joining each of -said rails to the corresponding set of arms. l,

3, A tray comprising a plurality of elongated parallel bars disposed horizontally and spaced apart laterally to form a supporting rack, means joining said bars to hold the bars in spaced relation, a series of arms upstanding from one of the outer ones of said bars, each of said arms being generally L-shaped with the shorter leg projecting horizontally in through an opening in said outer bar and with the longer leg spaced outwardly of and extending upwardly from the bar a part larger than said opening and rigidly connected to the end of said shorter leg inside said outer bar to abut against the inside of the outer bar and prevent removal of the arm, an elongated side rail spaced above and outwardly of said outer bar and secured to the upper end portions of said longer legs, a second series of L-shaped arms similarly mounted on the other of said outer bars', and a second rail similarly joined to said second series of arms.

References Cited in the tle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 797,871 Smith Aug. 22, 1905 873,085 Repetto Dec. l0, 1907 932,021 Insinger Aug. 24, 1909 2,507,152 Garofalo May 9, 1950 2,523,272 Bluhm Sept. 26, 1950 2,635,780 Schmidt Apr. 21, 1953 

